Container carrying harness



Allg- 8, 1961 R. M. WELLS ET AL 2,995,282

CONTAINER CARRYING HARNESS Filed Aug. 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 infn/swf y Aug. 8, 1961 R. M. WELLS ET AL 2,995,282

CONTAINER CARRYING HARNESS Filed Aug. 26, 1959 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 2,995,282 CONTAINER CARRYING HARNESS Royce M. Wells, 890 Minneola Ave., and Frank S. Bliven, 1139 Lakeshore Drive, both of Clermont, Fla. Filed Aug. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 836,293 Claims. (Cl. 224-26) This invention relates to a harness for carrying containers, such as a postmans bag or a fruit pickers bag in carrying position, and has for an object the provision of means of the character designated which shall provide greater comfort and convenience for the user.

A further object of our invention is to provlide a harness for supporting a bag or other container in carrying position on the body of a person, in which the major portion of the weight of the bag is borne on the hips of the user, and a minor portion on his shoulder.

As is well known in the art to which our invention relates, bags such as are used by postmen and fruit pickers, when fully loaded, are quite heavy, weighing up to 50 pounds, and are usually carried by a single strap which is usually passed over the `shoulder of the user, on the side on which the bag is carried. This results in all of the weight of the bag Iand its contents being supported by the upper portion of the spine, and bearing as it does, on one shoulder only, imposes a lateral bending strain on the spine; with such bags it is also often necessary to shift the bag partially around the body toward the front in order to see and obtain access to the contents. This imposes an additional twisting strain on the spine.

These and other diculties are overcome by means of our invention in which we provlide a belt with at least one enlargement or pad positioned to bear on a hip of the user together with a `supporting member for the bag readily attachable to, and detachable from lthe p-ad, and guide and slide means cooperating between the supporting member and one of the enlargements or pads.

Devices embodying features of our invention `are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a preferred form of the belt portion of our improved harness;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view drawn to an enlarged scale showing the belt with one of the supporting pads and a bag supporting member, detached from the bag;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the belt portion as worn by a user;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation, with parts broken away and in section, showing the preferred form of our linvention assembled;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view, with parts broken away and in section, similar FIG. 4, showing a modified form of our invention; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional View taken along the line VII- VII of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of our invent-ion, we show in FIG. 4, by way of illustration, a fragment of a postmans bag 10 having two horizontally spaced loops 11 positioned to receive rings 12, to which a carrying strap 13 is secured and which, in carrying position passes over the shoulder of the person carrying the bag.

At 14 we show a belt which passes yaround a persons waist. A pair of concave-convex pads or enlargements 16 and 17 are each detachably mounted on the belt position for the concave side to fit over a persons They may be detachably mounted on the belt by means of downwardly opening spring clips 18 and 19 which hook over the belt, whereby they may be shifted laterally to Patented Aug. 8, 1961 tit over the hips of the person wearing the belt. 'I'he pads may be made of metal or any other suitable relatively rigid material andare curved Iinwardly to fit snugly over a persons hips. Preferably, also, a sheet 20 of flexible material, such as leather or other suitable flexible material is stretched across the rear, concave side of the pad and secured at the edges. This provides a yieldable cushion against the hip of the wearer. Mounted on each of the pads or enlargements, on the upper portion thereof, is a U-shaped upwardly opening bag supporting member 21.

Detachably mounted on the bag 10 is a bag supporting guide rod 22 which, when the bag is -in carrying position, fits over the member 21. It thus provides for shifting the bag laterally in order to get at its contents, the lrod Z2 and member 21 cooperating as a guide and slide means. The rod 22 is bowed outwardly to conform to the curvature of the pads or enlargements 16 and 17. It is bent over and backwardly on itself near the ends to form. downwardly projecting loops 23 and 24 at the ends, the rod terminating in pointed ends 26 and 27 on the upper sides of the loops, which pointed ends engage detachably with the loops 11 on the bag. When the bag is in carrying position, its weight bearing on the outwardly bowed rod 22 causes the loops 23 and 24 to bear against the belt and thus prevent the rod 22 from turning.

In use, the carrying strap is `adjusted so that the major portion of the weight of the bag 10 is born by the belt 14, through the pad or enlargement 16 or 17, as the case may be, the rod 22 and the U-shaped supporting member 21. The bag may be shifted laterally to obtain ready access to its contents, the member 21 and the rod 22 serving as guide and slide means principally supporting the bag and guiding its movements.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 we show a modified form of our invention. In accordance with this modlication we provide the belt 14 with the supporting pads as before, (only pad 17' being shown). On each of the pads lwe mount a supporting guide rod t31 which is located in a position lower on the pad than the hook 21, for an obvious reason. Bearing downwardly on the rguide rod on the side upon which the bag is being carried, is a downwardly opening U-shaped slide member 32. 'I'he slide member 32 is provided with upwardly and ontwardly diverging arms 33 and 34 which terminate in horizontal end portions 36 and 37 The latter engage in the Iloops 11 on the bag and transmit the weight to the pad 16 or 17 as the case may be.

As in the previously described modification, the carrying strap 13 is so adjusted that the major portion of the weight of the bag is borne by the belt 14 through the pad 16 or '17 as the `case may be, the guide rod 31, the slide member 32, and its upwardly and outwardly diverging arms 33 and 34. When the user shifts the position o-f the bag 10 laterally, the slide member 32 slides on the guide rod 31. In accordance with this modification also, there is a possible limited outward movement of the bag away from the body, the arms 33 and 34 and slide member 32 pivoting on the guide rod 31.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that we have devised an improved means for supporting containers such as postmens and fruit pickers bags in carrying position on the body of a person which is elective to provide `greater comfort and a minimum strain upon the spine of the user.

While we have shown our invention in but two forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but that it is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire therefore, that only such 3 limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. In a harness for supporting a load from a belt around a persons waist, a container having two horizontally spaced loops near its upper edge, `a shoulder strap connected to the loops, a belt having an enlargement positioned when worn to bear against the persons hip, an upwardly opening hook on the enlargement, and a supporting guide bar having its ends engaged in the loops on the bag and extending horizontally when in supporting position in supporting engagement with the upwardly opening hook.

2. In a harness for supporting a load in carrying position from a belt around a persons waist, a bag having two horizontally spaced loops thereon lnear its upper edge, a concavo-convex enlargement on the belt positioned for its concave side to bear on the persons hip, an upwardly opening hook mounted on the convex side of the enlargement, and a supporting guide bar outwardly bowed from the persons body having its ends detachably engaged in the loops on the bag and extending substantially horizontally over the convex side of the enlargement to engage with the hook when in carrying position and support the bag.

3. In a harness for supporting a load when in carrying position on a persons body, a container having two spaced loops thereon near its upper edge, a belt adapted to pass around a persons waist, a concavo-convex enlargement on the belt positioned for its concave side to bear on the persons hip, an upwardly opening U-shaped member mounted on the convex side of the enlargement,

a guide bar extending horizontally over the convex side of the enlargement and engaging slidably with the U-shaped member, the guide bar being bent over and backward on itself near the ends thereof to form depending loops terminating in backwardly directed pointed ends which engage in the loops on the bag to support the bag.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the enlargement is adjustable lengthwise of the belt.

5. In the means set forth in claim 2, a downwardly projecting loop formed in at least one end of the supporting guide bar constructed and arranged to be hooked into one of the Iloops on the bag and to lie at against the belt when supporting the bag, whereby to hold the bar against turning in the loops.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 633,550 Hoffman Sept. 19, 1899 765,893 Howard et al. July 26, 1904 1,185,698 Miller June 6, 1916 1,270,158 Hill June 18, 1918 1,469,285 Thompson Oct. 2, 1923 1,618,088 Hinrichs Feb. 15, 1927 2,384,974 Smith Sept. 18, 1945 2,390,673 Wallace Dec. 11, 1945 2,441,115 Lambert May 4, 1948 2,620,004 Heitmeyer Dec. 2, 1952 2,856,111 Wolfe et al. Oct. 14, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,728 France `uly 30, 1903 

